undermine what is the creative opportunity for the u.s. economy. it is in invention, and we want thousands and thousands and thousands of inventors, not just inventors that work for big corporations, thousands of inventors who have their rights. so i support the feinstein amendment, and i thank the president, and i yield the floor. mrs. feinstein: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from california. mrs. feinstein: thank you, madam president. i want to thank the senator from washington for her comments. we welcome her support, and i was pleased to be able to listen to these comments. what is the current status of the time allocation? the presiding officer: the proponents have 3 1/2 minutes remaining, and the opponents have ten minutes remaining. mrs. feinstein: i would ask unanimous consent that our 3 1/2 minutes be extended so that senator risch who will speak next has the time that he requires and i have the time for a brief close. the presiding officer: without objection. mrs. feinstein: thank you very much. mr. risch: thank you, madam president, fellow senators. i'm pro